Mechanism for simulating ingestion in a figure toy



May 21, 1968 J- w. RYAN ETAL MECHANISM FOR SIMULATING INGESTION IN AFIGURE TOY Filed Dec.

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May 21, 1968 J. w. RYAN ETAL MECHANISM FOR SIMULATING INGESTION IN AFIGURE TOY Filed Dec. 6, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Awe-Mme;

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(ll/7225A! D. #11307 ,Taxnw floss? f/mmep A. fill foaifir .1. down May21, 1968 Filed Dec. 6, 1966 J- W. RYAN ETAL MECHANISM FOR SIMULATINGINGESTION IN A FIGURE TOY 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I38 110 8 224 m; z/ 1% 244148 4 /A/VIVTORS United States Patent Office MECHANISM FOR SIMULATINGHNGESTIUN IN A FIGURE TOY John W. Ryan, Bel Air, Warren D. Kabot,Manhattan Beach, Joseph Kossotf, Hawthorne, and Richard L. May andRobert L. Cowell, Manhattan Beach, Qalifi, assigners to Mattel, Inc.,Hawthorne, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Dec. 6, 1966, Ser.No. 599,568 8 Claims. (Cl. 46-247) ABSTRACT 9F THE DISCLGSURE A toyfigure having a head with movable lips, cheeks and eyes. In order tosimulate nursing or chewing in the figure, a nursing bottle or a spoonmay be inserted in the mouth to selectively connect an electric drivemotor with either the movable cheeks and eyes or the movable lips andeyes, respectively. The connection between the motor and lips is suchthat the lower lip will move in an orbital path and will continuemovement for a short time after withdrawal of the spoon.

The present invention relates to a new and useful mechanism forsimulating ingestion in a figure toy and, more particularly, to such amechanism which includes facial animating means for moving a dolls facethrough realistic, simulated ingestion movements and eye animating meansfor simultaneously moving the dolls eyes through realistic, non-uniform,eye sweeping patterns.

Mechanisms for simulating ingestion in figure toys are known. Whilegenerally satisfactory, some of these toys have the disadvantage thatthey employ a rigid face structure so that realistic, simulatedingestion movements cannot be imparted thereto by the mechanism forsimulating ingestion. One of the prior art devices is in the form of anursing doll which includes means for blinking the eyes of the doll atintervals during the nursing operation. Although generally satisfactory,the eye blinking mechanism does have certain disadvantages. Onedisadvantage resides in the fact that the eyes blink on a more or lessuniform cycle which is not realistic. Another disadvantage resides inthe fact that the eyes merely rotate about a horizontal axis and areincapable of sweeping movements usually found in the eyes of nursingbabies.

In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic ofmechanisms for simulating ingestion in figure toys, it is a primaryobject of the present invention to provide a new and useful mechanismfor simulating ingestion in figure toys not subject to the disadvantagesenurnerated above and having facial animating means for moving aflexible face through realistic, simulated ingesttion movements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the typedescribed which includes means for moving the mouth and the checks of adoll through simulated nursing movements.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a toy of thetype described which includes means for moving a dolls mouth throughsimulate-d chewing movements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism forsimulating ingestion in a doll and which operates in a first mode when asimulated nursing bottle is placed in the dolls mouth and in a secondmode when a simulated feeding spoon is placed in the dolls mouth.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a motordriven mechanism for simulating ingestion in a doll which includes agear train for animating the cheeks of the doll when a simulated nursingbottle is 3,383,795 Patented May 21, 1968 placed in the dolls mouth andfor animating the lower lip of the doll when a simulated spoon is placedin the dolls mouth and which includes a delayed action switch forcontinuing operation of the motor a predetermined length of time afterthe feeding implements are removed from the dolls mouth.

According to the present invention, a mechanism for simulating ingestionin a doll is mounted in the dolls head. The dolls head is preferablymade from a soft, flexible plastic material and includes eye sockets anda flexible face having cheeks and a mouth. The mouth includes an upperlip and a lower lip which are connected together by an inwardlyextending, flexible bulb having an aperture provided therein. Theaperture is connected by a fitting to actuating means for energizing theingestion mechanism. The fitting is connected by a conduit to adischarge point within the body of the doll for carrying away anyliquids which may be introduced into the mouth of the doll duringsimulated nursing operations.

The ingestion mechanism includes a facial animating means connected tothe flexible face for moving it through realistic, simulated ingestionmovements and eye animating means connected to the dolls eyes for movingthem through realistic, non-uniform, eye-sweeping patterns. The facialanimating means includes a cheek animating means for driving the cheekson a predetermined cycle which also imparts movements to the dolls lipsfor simulating a nursing action and a lower lip animating means fordriving the lower lip on a combined up-and-down and side-to-side patternsimulating chewing motions. The mechanism is driven by an electric motorthrough a gear train which includes a gear shifting mechanism fordriving either the cheek animating means and the eye aminating meanssimultaneously or the lower lip animating means and the eye animatingmeans simultaneous- 1y. The gear shifting mechanism is actuated byplacing a probe in the form of a nursing bottle or a pacifier in thedolls mouth and pushing it into the mouth sufficiently to move a gearfrom its normally forward position where it enages driving gears for thelower lip and the eye animating means to a rear position where the gearengages the driving gears for the cheek and theeye animating means. Theprobe also closes an electrical circuit to the electric motor through afirst switch.

When a simulated feeding spoon is placed in the dolls mouth, the firstswitch is again closed, but the shifting mechanism is not actuated sothat the lower lip animating means and the eye animating means willoperate. Operation of the lower lip animating means closes a secondswitch which is connected in parallel with the first switch. The secondswitch remains closed, even though the spoon is removed, until theingestion mechanism operates through a predetermined number of cycles.The second switch is then automatically opened by a lug on a star wheel.

The dolls eyes are floatingly mounted in the eye sockets and are bothconnected to a common tie bar which is given a compound motion through afirst crank which is attached to an eye-driving gear having a firstpredetermined number of teeth and by a second crank which is connectedto another eye-driving gear having a different number of teeth. Theeye-driving gears drivingly engage each other. Both cranks or connectedto the cross bar at a common point and are driven intermittently by astar wheel. The star wheel is rotated three notches in rapid successionby three, closely-spaced lugs provided on a main drive gear in the geartrain. The star wheel remains idle until the three lugs again come intoengagement therewith. By using 31 teeth on one eye-driving gear and 28teeth on the other eye-driving gear, it has been found that 48revolutions of this common point may be made before the realistic,non-uniform, eye-sweeping path which the eyes take repeats itself.Therefore, the eyesweeping appears to be random.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The presentinvention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be under stood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to likeelements in the several views.

In the drawings FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a figure toyincorporating a mechanism for simulating ingestion constituting apresently preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial perspective view of the mechanism incorporated inthe figure toy of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view, with parts shown in cross-section,of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, side elevational view, with parts broken awayto show internal construction, of the figure toy of FIG. 1 and themechanism of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG.4; and

FIGURES 79 are schematic views showing the operation of the switchingmechanism used in the device shown in FIG. 2.

Referring again to the drawings and, more particularly, to FlGS. 1, 4and 5, a mechanism for simulating ingestion in a figure toy, generallydesignated 19, constituting a presently preferred embodiment of theinvention, is in combination with a figure toy or doll 12 having a head14 and a neck 16 which may be integrally molded from a suitable soft,flexible plastic material, such as a polyvinyl chloride of a type wellknown to those skilled in the art. The head 14 is provided with a pairof eye sockets 18, 20 and includes a flexible face 22 having a pair ofchecks 24, 26, a chin 28, a nose and a mouth 32 The mouth 32 includes anupper lip 34 and a lower lip 36 which are jointed together by aninwardly-concave wall 38 provided with an aperture 40.

Referring now more in particular to FIUS. 1-6, the mechanism 10 ismounted in the figure toy 12 and includes a facial-animating means 42and an eye-animating means 43. The facial-animating means 42 isconnected to the face 22 for moving it through realistic, simulatedingestion movements. The eye-animating means 43 is of the type disclosedin co-pending application, Ser. No. 599,569, filed Dec. 6, 1966 andincludes a pair of eyeballs 44, 46 floatingly mounted in associated eyesockets 18 and 2t and an eyeball drive means 48 connected to theeyeballs 44, 46, for moving them through realistic, non-uniform,eye-sweeping patterns. The facial-animating means 42 includes afacial-animating drive means 56 for driving it and the animating means42 and 43 are both mounted in a housing 51.

The facial-animating means 42 includes a cheekanirnating means 52 of thetype disclosed in co-pending application, Ser. No. 599,570, filed Dec.6, 1966. The cheek-animating means 52 includes a substantially U- shapedcheek moving member 54 for moving the cheeks 24 and 26 throughrealistic, simulated nursing movements in a manner to be hereinafterdescribed. The member 54 includes a bight portion 56 and a pair ofparallel, forwardly-extending arms 58, 69. The bight portion 56 isprovided with an aperture 62 (FIG. 4) for reci rocably mounting themember 54 on a fixed shaft 64 having a first end 66 seated in a rearwall 68 of the housing 51 and a second end 70 extending through a crankhub 72 which, in turn, is journaled in a partition 74 provided in thehousing 51. The arms 58 and 66 may be made rom plastic material, such aspolypropylene, and each arm includes an angularly-disposed free end 76extending to a position closely adjacent an associated check 24, 26.Each arm 58, 6G is provided with a hinge 78 intermediate an associatedend 76 and the bight portion 56 which is formed by reducing thecross-section of an associated arm 58, 60. Each end 76 carries anupstanding pin 80 ch rides in a slot 82 (FIG. 5) provided in a plate 84aihxcd to the housing 51. The pins fit guide the ends 76 duringreciprocation of the member 54 to flex associated i 24, 2.6 between tiebroken line and the solid line positions shown in FIG. 5. Each end 76 isconnected to an associated check 24, 26 by a connector means 86 whichincludes a disc 38 and a pin 90. Each disc 88 may be secured to anassociated cheek 24, 26 by a suitable weldmcnt 92 and the pins 99 may besecured to the associated ends 76 by any suitable means well known tothose skilled in the art.

The facial-animating means 42 also includes a lowerlip animating means94 for driving the lower lip 36 through realistic, simulated chewingmovements following an orbital path having up-and-down and side-to-sidecomponents. The lower-lip animating means 94 includes a substantiallyU-shaped bridge 96 having a bight portion 98 and parallel arms 10%, 162.The arms 100', 102 have free ends 104, 186, respectively, which carryassociated, outwar ly-extending trunnions 1'38, 116 for swingablymounting the bridge 96 in the housing 51 by journaling the trunnions163, 11% in associated housing side walls 112, 114, respectively.

The animating means 94 also includes a connecting rod 116 connecting acrank pin 118 to the bridge 96 and to the lower lip 36. The connectingrod 116 includes an end 12 which is provided with an aperture 124 forrotatably receiving the crank pin 113, and a first downwardly andforwardly extending leg 126, extending from the end 120 to a seconddownwardly and forwardly extending leg 123 having an end 13 and carryingan upstanding pin 132. The end is provided with a pair of counterbot'es134 (FIG. 2) frictionally engaged by associated arms 136, 138 providedon a wire, lip clip 14% having a bight portion 142 embedded in the lowerlip 36. The pin 132 is rotatably received in an aperture 144 (FIG. 4)provided in the bight portion 98 of the bridge 96 and is retained inposition therein by a snap washer 146.

The facial-animating drive means 50 includes a wheel 148 which iscarried by the hub 72 and on which the crank pin 118 is eccentricallymounted. The drive means 50 also includes a lower-lip driving gear 151)which is keyed to the hub 72 by a key 152 (FIG. 4) for impartingrotation to the crank 118. The gear is driven by the eyeball drive means48 through an eyeball-diiving gear 154 forming a part thereof anddrivingly associated with the gear 150 through a shiftable pinion gear156 reciprocably mounted in the housing 51 by a shaft 158 having one end169 journaled in the rear wall 68 and another end 162 operativelyassociated with a shift lever 164. The shift lever 164 is normallybiased to the position shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 7 by a compression spring166 which encompasses the shaft: 53 and which has a first end 168bearing against a partition 169 in housing 51 and a second end 170bearing against the lever 164. In this position, the pinion gear 156drivingly engages both the eye-ball driving gear 154 and the lower-lipdriving gear 150 for transferring rotation of the gear 154 to the gear150, thereby rotating the crank pin 118. This rotation drives the lowerlip 36 on its up-and-down and side to-side path through connecting rod116, bridge 96 and clip 140 for moving the face 22 through realistic,simulated ingestion movements in the form of chewing motions.

T he facial-animating drive means 50 and the eyeballdrive means 48 areboth powered by an electric motor 172 having an output shaft 174 towhich a worm gear 176 is afiixed for rotation thereby. The worm gear 176drives a main drive gear 178 which is rotatably mounted in the housing51 by a shaft 180 (FIG. 4) having a first end 182 journaled in an endwall 184 of housing 51 and a second end 186 journaled in a partition 188provided in the housing 51. The main drive gear 178 drivingly engagesthe eyeball-driving gear 154 for imparting rotation thereto.

The drive means 50 also includes a cheek-driving gear 190 which isrotatably mounted on the shaft 64 and which carries a cam member 192 forrotation thereby. The cam member 122 is provided with a shaped groove194 in which is caged a first pin 1% (FIG. 5) carried by the arm 58 ofthe member 54 and a second pin 200 carried by the arm 60. The cam groove194 is suitably shaped for translating rotary motion into linear,reciprocating motion of arms 58, 60 through the pins 1% and 200. Whenarms 58, 60 are moved to the left, as viewed in FIG. 5, the cheeks 24and 26 are drawn rearwardly and inwardly to their broken line positionsshown in FIG. 5. Return movement of arms 58, 60 to the right returns thecheeks 24 and 26 to their FIG. 5 solid line positions. During suchreciprocation, the ends 76 of the member 54 follow the path defined bythe slots 82 While the arms 58 and 60 bend at their associated hinges78.

Rotation is imparted to the gear 1% by the gear 154 through the piniongear 156 only when the pinion gear 156 is shifted by lever 164 fromdriving engagement with the gears 150 and 154 to driving engagement withthe gears 154 and 190, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. At this time, thelower-lip driving gear becomes idle. Thus, when the toy 12 is beingoperated in its chewing mode by the lower-lip driving gear 150, thecheek driving gear 190 remains idle so that the toy 12 does not alsosimultaneously operate in its nursing mode and, alternatively, the gear150 remains idle when the gear 190 is being driven by the pinion gear156 so that the doll 12 does not operate in its chewing mode when it isbeing operated in its nursing mode. On the other hand, the eye-animatingmeans 43 operates regardless of the ingestion mode because of the directconnection of the gear 154 with the gear 178 and worm gear 176.

Referring now more in particular to FIGS. 34, and 7-9, electrical powermay be supplied to the motor 172 by suitable dry cell means 204 which isconnected to the motor 172 by a lead 206 and to a movable electricalcontact 208 by a lead 210. The contact 208 is afiixed to the wall 38 inthe mouth 32 and may be moved into engagement with a fixed contact 2 12,which is affixed to a partition 214 provided in the housing 51. Thefixed contact 212 is connected to the motor 172 by a lead 216 forcompleting a circuit thereto when engaged by the movable contact 208. Acircuit may also be completed to the motor 172 through a switch 218having a first contact 220 connected to the lead 210 by a lead 222 and asecond contact 224 connected to the lead 216 by a lead 226. Thus, theswitch 218 is placed in a parallel circuit with the contacts 208 and 212so that a circuit will be completed to the motor 172 whenever one set ofcontacts 220, 224 or 208, 212 are closed. The contacts 220 and 224 arenormally closed by a leaf spring 228 which biases the contact 220 intoengagement with the contact 224. The contacts 208 and 212 may be closedby moving the wall 38 sufficiently to engage the movable contact 208against the fixed contact 212. The wall 38 may be moved, as shown inFIG. 7, by a simulated feeding spoon 230 having a handle 232 and a head234. Alternatively, the contact 208 may be moved by a simulated nursingbottle 236 (FIGS. 8 and 9) having a simulated nipple 238. The length ofthe nipple 238 is such that it will engage a rigid member 240, which isaffixed to the lever 164 by a cross bar 24 (FIGS. 2 and 4), for swingingthe lever to the position shown in FIG. 8 and shift the pinion gear 156from the gear 150 to the gear 190 before an enlarged portion 242provided on the nipple 238 engages the wall 38 to move the contact 208to its FIG. 9 position. The wall 38 is connected to the rigid member 240by a reciprocable sleeve member 244 so that the wall 38 is free to movewith respect to the rigid member 240 without imparting motion hereto.Thus, the contact 208 may be moved to its FIG. 7 position for operatingthe toy 10 in its chewing mode without shifting gear 156 to the nursingmode. When the spoon 230, or the nursing bottle 236, is removed from themouth 32, the contact 208 will be moved back to its FIGS. 4 and 8position by a compression spring 246 which encompasses the sleeve 244.

Liquids may be introduced into the doll 12 from the bottle 236 anddirected to a discharge point (not shown) for performing a well-knowndoll wetting function. These liquids may be discharged from the nipple238 into the rigid member 240 from whence they flow through an Outletconduit 247 which is connected to the member 240 by an outlet nipple240a and which passes through the neck 16 into a lower torso portion(not shown) of doll 12.

Referring to FIGURES 24 and 7, switch 218 is opened after the lower-lipdriving gear rotates through a predetermined number of cycles by a lug248 carried on a star wheel 250. The star wheel 250 is rotatably mountedin the housing 51 by a shaft 252 having a first end 254 journaled in thepartition 188 (FIG. 4) and a second end 256 journaled in a partition258. The partition 188 carries a detent spring 260 which engages aplurality of teeth 262 carried by the wheel 250 for preventing unwantedrotation thereof. The wheel 250 includes a plurality of points orfingers 264 engageable by a pin 266 (FIGS. 2 and 7) carried by the gear150 for imparting an increment of rotation to the wheel 250 each timethe gear 150 completes a full revolution. Thus, the switch 218 will beautomatically opened by the lug 248 after the gear 150 has completedenough revolutions to rotate the wheel 250 through a full revolution.Assuming that the spoon 230 has been previously removed from the mouth32, the doll 12 will then stop chewing until the spoon 230 is againinserted into the mouth moving the contact 208 into engagement with thecontact 212. This again energizes the motor 172 imparting rotation tothe gear 150 through worm gear 176, main drive gear 178, eyeball-drivegear 154 and pinion gear 156. Initial rotation of the gear 150 willdrive the lug 248 out of engagement with the leaf spring 228 closingswitch 218 so that the motor 172 will continue to operate for apredetermined number of revolutions after the spoon 230 has been removedfrom the mouth 30. Thus, a child user may insert the spoon to simulategiving the toy 12 a spoonful of food and remove the spoon while the doll12 chews the food for a predetermined number of cycles until the switch218 opens. The child may then feed the doll 12 another spoonful of food.

During this chewing cycle, the upper lip 34 will receive somesympathetic movement from the lip 36 through the wall 38. However,substantial movement of the upper lip 34 is prevented by a bridge member268 (FIG. 4) comprising a substantially U-shaped member having a bightportion 270 seated against the inner wall 272 of the face 22 between thenose 30 and the upper lip 34 and a pair of parallel arms, such as theone shown at 274, each connected by a brace member 276 to the housing51.

During operation of the toy 12 in the nursing mode wherein the member 54is reciprocated on the shaft 64 to move the cheeks 24, 26 between theirsolid and broken line positions shown in FIG. 5, a certain amount ofsympathetic movement is also imparted to the lips 34 and 3-6 through theflexible face 22 to heighten the nursing illusion. The flexible face 22is molded with a preset so that the cheeks 24, 26 are normally indentedto the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 5. Since the figure toy 12would have a somewhat unnatural appearance if the cheeks 24, 26 remainedin their broken line positions when the member 54 is inoperative, thecheeks 24, 26 are moved to their solid line positions automatically whenoperation of the member 54 is terminated. This is accomplished bymounting a pin 278 (FIG. 4) on the arm 58 and engaging the upper end 283 of the pin 278 in a small-diameter portion 232 provided on the rod153. Then upon removal of the nursing bottle 236 from engagement withthe rigid member 248 so that the spring is free to move the rod 158forwardly in the direction of arrow 284 (FIG. 4), the rod 158 will alsomove the member 54 forwardly through the engagement of pin 273 by anannular shoulder 286 on rod 158.

The lever 164 includes an upper end 287 which carries a pin 288. The pin288 rides in a slot 2% provided in the housing 51 for guiding end 287 oflever The lever 164 is connected to the shaft 158 for impartingreciprocation thereto without interfering with the rotation thereof byengaging a reduced diameter portion 292 of the shaft 158 betweenvertical ribs, like the one shown at 294 in FIG. 4, provided on the end287 of lever 164.

Referring now more in particular to FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the eyeballs 44,46 each includes a hollow, substantially hemispherically-shaped member296 in which a pair of plates 298, 300 are mounted at right angles toeach other. The plate 298 is provided with a substantially rectangularslot 302 (FIG. 4) having a mouth 3'34 which flares outwardly to theperiphery 306 of the plate 298 and a pair of notches 308 intermediatethe mouth 394 and a closed end wall 318 defining the inner end of theslot 302. The plate 300 is provided with a slot 312 (FIG. 6) having aclosed end 314 lying at right angles to the end wall 310 and anoutwardly-flared open end 316 at the peripheral edge 318 of the plate390.

The eyeballs 44, 46 are each fioatingly mounted in a transparent plasticbubble 328 which is clamped into position within an associated eyesocket 18, 20 by a bridge member 322 having a pair of clamping rings 324clamping the eye sockets 18, 20 and associated bubbles 32- together atthe open ends 326 thereof. The bridge 322 includes upper and lowerrails, as shown at 330 in FIG. 6 for the lower rail, connecting theclamping rings 324 together and is connector. to the housing 51 by apair of clips carried by the ends of bridge 322, as shown at 332 inFIGS. 4 and 6 for one clip, which is carried by end 333 of bridge 322.Each clip 332 may be snapped into engagement with an associated lug 334atfixed to an associated side wall 336 on the housing 51.

The eyeballs 44, 46 are connected to the eyeball-drive means 48 by aconnector means 338 which may be made of a suitable plastic material,such as polypropylene, and which includes a U-shaped member 340 having abight portion 342 to which a pair of downwardly and forwardly extendingarms 344, 346 are connected by associated hinges 348 formed in theconnector means 338 by reducing the cross-section thereof at thejunction of the arms 344, 346 with the bight portion 342. The connectormeans 338 also includes a cross bar 349 which is connected to the freeends 350 of associated arms 344, 346 by associated hinge members 352formed in the connector means 338 by reducing the cross-section thereofat the junction of the arms 344, 346 with the cross bar 349, as is wellknown in the art for forming live hinges in polypropylene members. Thecross arm 34) includes a first end 354 and a second end 356 to whichfirst and second links 358 and 360, respectively, are connected by livehinges 362 formed in the connector means 338 by reducing thecross-section thereof at the junction of the links 358, 366 with thecross arm 34-9. he links 358, 360 each carry a pair of protuberances 364(FIG. 4) which may be seated in associated notches 368 provided inassociated slots 302 so that the links 358, 368 may be connected totheir associated eyeballs 44, 46 for trans mitting realistic,non-uniform, eye-sweeping movements thereto from the eyeball-drive means48.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 6, the drive means 48 includes asmall-diameter gear 366 having a front face 368, a rear face 370 (FIG.6) and a plurality of teeth 372. The rear face 378 carries an integrallyformed hub 374 and a spindle 376 and the front face 368 is proo videdwith a cylindrical land 378 and an integral crank pin 380 which areoffset from the center of rotation of the gear 366. The gear 366 isjournalcd in a bearing block 382 having a first cylindrical end 384connected to a hollow boss 385 on the side wall 336 of housing 51 and asecond cylindrical end 386 connected to a hollow boss 387 on the housing51. The bearing block 382 is provided with a first aperture 388receiving the spindle 376, which may be maintained in operativeassociation with block 382 by forming an enlarged head 390 on the freeend of spindle 376 and by the hub 374.

The drive means 48 also includes a large-diameter gear 392 having a rearface 394, a front face 396 and a plurality of teeth 398, which mesh withthe teeth 372. The rear face 394 carries a star wheel 402 which, inturn, carries a hub 4'84 and a spindle 466 for rotatably connecting thegear 392 and the star wheel 404 to the bearing block 382 by engaging thespindle 486 in an aperture 408 provided in the bearing block 382. Thefree end of the spindle 486 may be provided with an enlarged head 410which cooperates with the hub 404 for maintaining the spindle 86 inoperative association with the bearing block 382. A cylindrical land 412and an integral crank pin 414 are carried by the front face 396 of thegear 332 and are offset from the center of rotation thereof.

The star wheel 482 includes a plurality of teeth 416 engageable by threeclosely-spaced pins 418 (FIG. 3) which are provided on the gear 154 forrotating the wheel 482 through three predetermined increments ofrotation during each complete revolution of the gear 154. The pins 418are adapted to engage three teeth 416 in succession and then remaindisengaged from the teeth 416 until the gear 154 starts its nextrevolution. These increments of rotation are transmitted by the starwheel 402 to the gear 332 which, in turn, drives the small-diameter gear366.

The combined output of the gears 366 and 392 is transmitted to theconnector means 338 by a connectingrod means 240 having a pair of arms422, 424, each of which includes a first end 426 connected to a hubmember 428 by an associated live hinge 439. The arms 422, 424 eachincludes a second end 432 which carries a hub 434 provided with anaperture 436; The aperture 436 on the arm 424 rotatably receives thecrank pin 414 on gear 392, and is retained in position on the crank pin414 by an enlarged head 438 provided thereon. The aperture 436 in thearm 422 rotatably receives the crank pin 380 and is retained in positionon the crank pin 330 by an enlarged head 439 provided thereon. The hub428 carries a pin 440 received in an aperture 442 (FIG. 4) provided inthe bight portion 342 of connector means 338 for connecting the hub 428thereto. The pin 44:) may be provided with an enlarged head 444 forretaining it in position on bight portion 342. The pin 446 constitutesan eccentric drive for the connector means 338 and is driven through apath defined by the combined output of the crank pins 386 and 414. Thiscombined output appears to be random in nature because the drive gear154 may make a great many revolutions before the path followed by thepin 448 repeats itself. This is accomplished by giving thelarge-diameter gear 332 an odd number of teeth, such as 31, and thesmall-diameter gear 366 an even, lesser number of teeth, such as 28. Theconnector means 338 transmits the path of travel of the pin 44% to theeyeballs 44, 46 moving them through realistic, non-uniform, eye-sweepingpatterns within their associated bubbles 328.

While the particular mechanism for simulating ingestion in a figure toyherein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining theobjects and providing the advantages hereinbcfore stated, it is to beunderstood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferredembodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to thedetails of construction or design herein shown other than as defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a figure toy having a head provided with a flexible unsupportedface including a mouth defined by a mouth cavity and upper and lowerlips: animating means connected to a mid-prtion of said lower lip forcyclically moving said portion in a generally orbital path toward andfrom said upper lip and from side-to-side of said face; and movabledrive means for actuating said animating means whereby to animate saidmouth in simulation of natural chewing motions.

2. A figure toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said animation meanscomprises a lever; support means mounting said lever in said head foruniversal pivotal movement about a center intermediate its ends, one endof said lever being connected to said mid portion of said lower lip,said drive means being arranged to swing the other end of said lever ina closed path.

3. A figure toy as defined in claim 2 wherein said support means ispivotally mounted about an axis generally parallel to said lower lip,said lever being pivoted to said support means about an axis oblique toa line containing the ends of said lever whereby circular motion of saidother end moves said one end about a non-circular orbital path.

4. A figure toy as defined in claim 1 including control means accessiblein said mouth cavity for selectively disconnecting said animating meansfrom said drive means.

5. A figure toy as defined in claim 1 including an electric motor forpowering said drive means; a normally open first switch for controllingoperation of said motor; and control means operable from within saidmouth cavity for selectively closing said switch to start said motor.

6. A figure toy as defined in claim '5 including a second normallyclosed switch for energizing said motor independently of said firstswitch; said drive means including a movable member arranged to opensaid second switch when in one position and cyclically movable away fromthen back to said position by said motor whereby said second switch isclosed upon starting said motor by closing said first switch and saidmotor continues to run, after opening said first switch, until saidmovable member again reaches said position.

7. In a figure toy having a head provided with a flexible unsupportedface including a mouth having an outwardly open mouth cavity, cheeks andeyes: first animating means connected to said mouth to flexibly move thesame to simulate a first natural motion; second anima'ing meansconnected to at least one of said cheeks to flexibly move the same tosimulate a second natural motion; drive means; and control meansaccessible in said mouth cavity for seslectively connecting either saidfirst or second animating means to said drive means.

8. A figure toy as defined in claim 7 wherein said control meansincludes yieldable means normally holding one of said animating meansconnected to said drive means; a motor for powering said drive means;and a switch means operable from within said mouth cavity forcontrolling said motor, said switch means being operable independentlyof said control means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,337 10/1934 Bowers 461352,101,102 12/1937 Schaefler 46-135 2,572,795 10/1951 Wood. 2,686,3888/1954 Seidl 46120 2,711,603 6/1955 Seidl. 2,945,321 7/ 1960 Carter.3,125,826 3/1964 Ostrander 461 18 3,195,268 7/1965 Neumann 46-135FOREIGN PATENTS 513,907 11/ 1920 France. 575,139 2/ 1946 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

F. BARRY SHAY, Examiner.

T. ZACK, Assistant Examiner.

